This chapter explains how the UK is governed, how the law works and how you can take part. It has lots of numbers, which make easy marks once memorised.
Key numbers
| Fact | Number |
|---|---|
| MPs in the House of Commons | 650 |
| Members of the Scottish Parliament | 129 |
| Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly | 90 |
| How often a general election must be held | At least every 5 years |
| Minimum age to vote or stand for election | 18 |
| Jury size in England, Wales and Northern Ireland | 12 |
| Jury size in Scotland | 15 |
| Polling station opening hours | 7am to 10pm |
How Parliament works
- The UK is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch as head of state. It has no single written constitution.
- Parliament has two houses: the elected House of Commons and the House of Lords, whose members (peers) are not elected.
- Debates in the Commons are chaired by the Speaker, a neutral MP.
- MPs are elected by first past the post. If an MP dies or resigns, a by-election is held.
- The Prime Minister lives at 10 Downing Street and chooses the Cabinet of senior ministers. The second-largest party forms the Opposition, led by the Leader of the Opposition with a Shadow Cabinet.
- The Chancellor of the Exchequer runs the economy, the Home Secretary covers crime, policing and immigration, and the Foreign Secretary handles relations with other countries.
- Civil servants are politically neutral. What is said in Parliament is recorded in Hansard.
Devolution
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own parliament or assembly, which can make laws on areas such as health and education. Defence, foreign affairs and immigration stay with the UK Parliament. The Scottish Parliament sits at Holyrood in Edinburgh, the Welsh Parliament (Senedd) in Cardiff Bay, and the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont in Belfast. Northern Ireland Assembly members are elected by proportional representation.
The law and the courts
| Court | Deals with |
|---|---|
| Magistrates' Court (Justice of the Peace Court in Scotland) | Most minor criminal cases |
| Crown Court (Sheriff Court in Scotland) | Serious criminal cases, with a judge and jury |
| Youth Court | Young people aged 10 to 17, heard by up to three magistrates or a District Judge |
| County Court | Civil disputes, including small claims |
| Supreme Court | The final court of appeal |
Criminal law covers crimes such as carrying a weapon or selling tobacco to someone underage. Civil law settles disputes between people, such as housing, employment or faulty goods. Jurors are chosen at random from the electoral register; the handbook gives the age range as 18 to 70 (in England and Wales the upper limit has since risen to 75).
Your role
You can register to vote, which also puts you on the electoral register used to choose jurors. Before an election you are sent a poll card, and your vote is secret. Many people also volunteer, become school governors, or join pressure groups that campaign to change government policy. Young people aged 16 and 17 can take part in National Citizen Service.